It wasn't a fancy, candlelight deal. It wasn't even a real meal. It was the dinner scene in the pilot of the new CBS drama Blue Bloods (tonight, 10 ET/PT).
The take-no-prisoners dining-room camaraderie of the fictional Reagans — a family deeply rooted in New York law enforcement — rang true to his own upbringing in a large family of Irish-Catholic heritage.
"I really felt so close to that dinner scene, it was shocking. I think that part made (the role) irresistible," says Wahlberg, who plays intense, rule-breaking NYPD Detective Danny Reagan.
"Sometimes, I read scripts and imagine myself as a character, and I imagine people's faces. I never envisioned an actress playing my sister in the dinner scene. I always envisioned my sister."
The family angle of Blue Bloods, the season's No. 2 new show (12.6 million viewers), was one of the main attractions for the actor, who is the father of two sons in real life and in the show. The multigenerational clan features a current and former police commissioner, an assistant district attorney and a rookie officer.
Wahlberg, 41, finds the relationship between Danny and his father, Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), compelling. Danny respects his father but doesn't want to and won't be able to follow in his footsteps as commissioner because of such moves as shoving a suspected kidnapper's head into a toilet.
"With Danny, I zeroed in on exploring what it is like to live in the shadow of a very powerful dad. There are times when that's a curse. There are times when that's an asset," he says.
Blue Bloods creators Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green saw a perfect fit when they watched Wahlberg's acting clips.
"He just had the energy of this character. There's something of the Corleones in this family. They're the Kennedys but also the Corleones. Sonny, the hothead, is sort of like Danny," while rookie officer Jamie (Will Estes) shares traits with Michael, Green says. Wahlberg "drives the show, in the cases, with his dynamism."
Wahlberg has often played cops —Boomtown, The Kill Point— and didn't want to be in a show that was strictly a procedural. "The irony is the Wahlberg boys (he and brother Mark) are always playing cops. Nobody confused us for cops when we were kids," he jokes, referring to their rough-and-tumble youth in Boston.
"In very procedural shows, your hands are sort of tied. The line says, 'You are under arrest,' and that's the line. With this show, it's not like I'm an insane patient running the asylum, but they've definitely given me the freedom to bring as much spirit to Danny as possible," he says.
In tonight's episode, "Officer Down," Wahlberg's Danny busts through accepted boundaries again as the NYPD tracks a cop killer. Frank has a different approach, which leads to a conflict with his father (Len Cariou), who crosses the line by getting involved in the investigation. Danny's sister, Erin (Bridget Moynahan), often offers legal points.
"It's one of those episodes where you see the Reagans working toward a common goal, but all doing it their own way. That's the show I enjoy making," Wahlberg says.
He also enjoys performing again with his first big showbiz success, New Kids on the Block.
"I spent the last 10 years or so working hard to build respectability as an actor. New Kids needed my full attention for the last 2½ years.
"Part of the choice to do this show is putting acting first a little bit, but New Kids is going to stay part of my career," he says. "I don't know that I can be dancing and singing when I'm 60. I hope to be acting when I'm 60."
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
No comments:
Post a Comment